The Passenger

Michael, thanks for stopping by! We appreciate your input, and thanks for reminding us of Pigeon Impossible.

Both “The Passenger” and “Pigeon impossible” are very impressive in that they were created by very tiny teams with undeniably impressive dedication. Both films are very well polished in all technical aspects. Additionally, the cinematography and pacing/editing feel really great, especially in The Passenger.

Unfortunately, in my personal opinion, I think both films suffer from the same shortfalls; primarily the story.
Given the length of the films, I am incredibly impressed that they were made by small teams with such devotion across so many years. However, I feel like I don’t connect enough with characters in either film to warrant a 6 minute running length. Both shorts are primarily gag-based, and neither allows you to get close to their characters.
In The Passenger, I feel like all I know about the guy is that he’s afraid of scary dogs and he listens to a walkman. In Pigeon Impossible, all I know about that guy is that he’s a clumsy secret agent who likes bagels.

Obviously, both films are stunningly visually impressive and it’s clear how much work their creators put into rendering, texturing, fx, etc. But I think it was in the Illusion of Life that Frank and Ollie talked about how the audience reacts to special effects. I’m paraphrasing here, but you get the idea:
“A new effect will wow the audience, but the response wears away quickly and won’t retain their attention. A good story and genuine characters will draw them in and keep them there.”

My point here is that while I though it was visually stunning – I found myself wishing there was way more character depth and story for a film that was that long. Gag-based films work really well in the 90seconds-and-under category. But story is so important I feel like I would rather see a film with a really great story and only mediocre effects than the reverse.

With the obvious talent displayed in these shorts, I wonder how massively amazing the films would have been if a bit more consideration was given to story and character. Clearly these filmmakers are wonderful artists with a real devotion to the medium, and I hope to see stellar things from them in the future.
I also look forward to seeing your short – best of luck!
-Jacob